


Resets

by lakesandquarries



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, death mention, man. i love making people suffer, sans contemplates murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-04 20:39:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5347805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lakesandquarries/pseuds/lakesandquarries
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sans overhears Frisk playing a video game.</p>
<p>(Post Pacifist, Sans, Toriel, Frisk, and Papyrus all live together.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Resets

Sans hummed to himself as he cooked. Papyrus was spending the night at Undyne's, meaning it was just him, Frisk, and Toriel for the night. He'd offered to make dinner, since Toriel had papers to grade and most of Frisk's knowledge of cooking came from Papyrus and Undyne. He didn't mind, though; there was something relaxing about cooking. It kept him grounded him in reality, something he always needed help with. He was just taking the food out of the oven when he heard Frisk speaking.

"...maybe I should just reset," he could hear them saying. "See if there's a better ending..."

Sans froze and dropped the pan. It hit the ground with a loud crash, sending the food he'd worked so hard on all over the floor.

"Sans?" Frisk asked. Sans couldn't speak. 

After all this time, they were going to reset. He would wake back up in Snowdin, _again_ , and have to watch them pretend they hadn't ripped away his happiness. He felt himself slide to the floor, but couldn't bring himself to care.

Nothing mattered, after all. Nothing he did would ever _fucking_ matter, because eventually it would all reset. And he doubted the kid would be as kind the next time around. Why else would they want to reset, if not to see the other paths they could go down? 

_See if there's a better ending,_ they'd said. He'd show them a better ending alright, end their game the moment they shook his hand. He shut his eyes, rubbing his palms against his sockets. This time, he wouldn't give the kid a chance, he'd kill them till they gave up on resetting. 

What was the point of being on the surface, even? Yeah, okay, there were some great things about it. But just last week, he'd had something throw an empty soda can at his head and tell him to go back underground where he belonged. But that didn't matter, either, because when the kid reset he was going to destroy them. What was one more death, really? They'd already died plenty. He'd already killed, killed kids that hadn't even deserved it, but this kid would. 

"Sans?" Frisk was still talking. He felt their hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. The hoarse tone of their voice told him they'd been trying to get his attention for a while. He opened one eye. 

"Sans, what's wrong? Are you okay? Did you get hurt or-" He opened his other eye, bright blue with energy. Frisk's voice stuttered to a halt.

" **Don't play dumb with me,** " he said roughly. 

"S...Sans?"

"I heard you talking. Saying you're gonna reset. _See if there's a better ending._ "

"I wasn't..." their eyes were wide, frightened. "I was talking about a video game, Sans, I would never..."

"I'm not falling for the innocent act, kid." He pushed himself off the floor. "You've done it before, after all. You did it over, and over, _and over_ again. Is this even the first time you've been here?" he closed his eyes, searching his memory. "Just because I don't remember any resets doesn't mean they haven't happened. Do you know what it's like, to wake up every morning wondering if its gonna stick? Waiting to wake back up in Snowdin, knowing that nothing you do ever _fucking matters_ , because it's just gonna reset. So go ahead. Reset. Just don't expect any help this time." He opened his eyes again.

The kid was shaking, arms wrapped around themself in a pitiful excuse for a hug. "I'm sorry," they said, quietly, over and over again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry..." They slid to the floor, still shaking, collapsing into a heap of tears and mumbled apologies.

Sans stayed still. They could still do it, he told himself. They were just waiting till his guard was down. He looked away.

"It was an accident," Frisk said. Sans looked at them warily. They were still on the ground, staring at the floor. "The first time it happened. I - I was in the ruins. Toriel had told me to wait for her, but I was curious, so I was walking around. I - This froggit showed up out of nowhere, and I was so startled I hit it. A-and then there was all this _dust_ and I didn't know what was happening and I was thinking about when I'd fallen, and then....I was falling again. I didn't want to reset, Sans, I didn't _mean_ to, I was just - I was _scared_ -"

He kneeled down and pulled Frisk into a hug. They looked up at him, startled, eyes still wet with tears. "Sa...Sans?"

He hugged tighter. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have gotten so mad. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"You had every season to be mad, Sans," Frisk said, slightly muffled, face buried in his jacket. "I would've been mad, too." They paused. "The...the time with the froggit was the only time I reset," they continued. "But - sometimes I'd get hit too hard. In battle, I mean. And then...I'd blackout and wake up earlier. I didn't do it on purpose, I swear, it just....happened. I'm sorry," they said again.

"It's okay, Frisk. I believe you."

"I'm never gonna reset," Frisk stated. "Ever."

Sans didn't reply, just held them. He released them after a minute. "Kid," he said, quietly. "Frisk. Thank you for telling me. It...it helps." 

Frisk smiled slightly, wiping their tears with their palm. "I'm sorry, Sans."

"I am too, Frisk." He paused. "Hey, uh....mind not telling Tori about me swearing?"

"Fine, but you help me with my science homework."

"Deal."

"And you don't make bad puns."

"You drive a hard bargain, kid." He smiled affectionately. "Shake on it?" 

They shook. "Hey, Sans....Do you want any help with dinner?" Frisk asked.

"Y'know what, why not. What are you in the mood for?"

"Definitely not spaghetti."

"Yeah," Sans said, chuckling. "Me neither."

"Can we get up off the floor?"

"Nah."

**Author's Note:**

> As always, you can find me on tumblr at http://lakesandquarries.tumblr.com! Come talk to me about sad skeletons. Please.


End file.
